Man, I wouldn't go that far. I have seen some pretty poor CFIs and some pretty outstanding teachers that weren't CFIs.

Click to expand...

Even the worst ones I’ve seen compared to the average non CFI were better. They went through the training and a grueling oral and flight. Even if they sucked, they were able to fool a DPE or Fed. There are lots of CFIs that probably suck. There are lots of non CFIs that also probably suck. I think flying with a non CFI can be beneficial AFTER learning the basics.

I’d trust the opinion of the worst CFI more than a PPL. They were trained to teach. A PPL is not.

Click to expand...

If you get that locked in and can't adjust then I'd say you shouldn't be a pilot. Just sayin. You have to adjust for weather, gross weight, the type of aircraft, a million other factors; a good pilot is always learning.

If you get that locked in and can't adjust then I'd say you shouldn't be a pilot. Just sayin. You have to adjust for weather, gross weight, the type of aircraft, a million other factors; a good pilot is always learning.

My advice, at age 53...plan for 75hrs. Then come back and tell me how wrong I was...believe me, for your sake I hope I am wrong.

But here I sit over 90hrs and not done yet. I did decide to switch instructors which set me back. I am okay with it now. Currently we are doing mock check rides. On the flip side, I have over 35hrs of solo time which has been a blast.

Click to expand...

Dead-on here.

I'm 47 and at 65 hours. No way am I done with just 10 more hours, though. I'm thinking more like 20-25 or so. But, I've had times with 3+ weeks between lessons and I know that hurts me. Heck, I flew yesterday and won't fly again until January 13th due to being out of the country for the holidays.

First of all, don't worry about the ground school at 53. All the online self study courses make it so much easier than in the past. I got my PPL at 17 (1980) flew for a few years and walked away until a few months ago. I got current again and immediately began working on my IR. I used King and Gold Method both. Passed the IR written no problem - and I am 54.

What others said - get all the seat time you can whether loggable or not. If nothing else it will light the fire in you and motivate you to start your formal PPL training asap.

If you find the right CFI you will be successful. The main thing is to ask around and find a CFI that comes highly recommended. I did and I found one that got me current quickly and is doing a very thorough job with the IR training.

I think 53 is a great age to learn. I think back to when I got my PPL at 17 years old and I am just thankful that I am alive. 17 year olds may learn quickly, but they can be idiots behind the wheel of a plane or car. I think the term is "indestructible".

The only advantage of being 17 is quite honestly the 3rd class medical is certainly not anything to worry about. I did kind of sweat that this past summer when I went back in to get it.

My weight on my original PPL license is 175. Not even close today. BTW - does the FAA still use your SS# for your certificate number?

In the early 1960s I soloed at 5.5 hours and took my PP check ride with 38 hours. The check ride took 2 hours, so when it was over I had the required 40 hours in my logbook. This was in central California near Vandenberg AFB and around Ogden, Utah near Hill AFB in 1963 and 1964.

With today's much more complex airspace and regulatory environments there is no way I could obtain a private certificate with so few hours.

40 hours is BS! I started PPL training at age 38. Logged over 80 hours and just got to the point where taking the CK is only weeks away (and I consider myself a very skilled person when it comes to operating heavy machinery

Frankly, I am a bit worried about my performance in the ground school. It has been a long damn time since I have had to do that kind of a learning, and I have never been good at memorize-recall knowledge. I want to get that out of the way before I start burning AMUs in the air.

Click to expand...

I used Gleim's ground school home study and completed the first 2 or 3 units before any actual flying but at about the 4th unit I got to the point where I needed actual flying to implement all the stuff I learnt. I couldn't continue the home study until I could feel/see/touch the airplane so to have practical knowledge to link with the stuff I was required to memorize. But you may do better at doing the ground school only, but keep in mind if it feels like you can't study any more because it just doesn't stick, you need the aircraft and the flying!

The airport you fly out of can affect the number of hours it takes to get your PPL. At John Wayne, where I trained, it was a full mile of taxiing from where the aircraft was parked to the approach end of the runway. So let's just say that I peaked in taxiing proficiency very early while building up those Hobbs hours!

But no regrets. Learning at a busy Class C was a great introduction to clearance calls, avoiding wake turbulence, etc. Lots of interesting stuff going on in the pattern with helicopters below and 737s coming in on the adjacent runway. No two laps of the pattern were the same.

The airport you fly out of can affect the number of hours it takes to get your PPL. At John Wayne, where I trained, it was a full mile of taxiing from where the aircraft was parked to the approach end of the runway. So let's just say that I peaked in taxiing proficiency very early while building up those Hobbs hours!

But no regrets. Learning at a busy Class C was a great introduction to clearance calls, avoiding wake turbulence, etc. Lots of interesting stuff going on in the pattern with helicopters below and 737s coming in on the adjacent runway. No two laps of the pattern were the same.

Click to expand...

This is so very true. I’m very comfortable on the radio and when getting vectored around In the pattern ( or anywhere). It really does help but also runs up the time/cost.